Controlling device for knitting-machines.



W. S. PARKER.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG=9,1915- Patented May 15, 1917.

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WILLIAM SMITH PARKER, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BURSON MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 19117..

Application filed August 9, 1915. Serial No. 44,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of W'innebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to controlling mechanisms employed in knitting machines to control the operation of various devices, such as the pattern cylinder and the yarn changing mechanisms, a controlling mechanism of this general character being disclosed in United- States Patent No. 944,012, dated December 21, 1909.

Controlling mechanisms of this character comprise, generally stated, a series of concentrically mounted ratchet and control disks, reciprocatory pawls for rotating the disks in timed relation, and means actuated by the control disks for operating in predetermined timed relation the pattern cylinder and yarn-changing mechanism. This last mentioned means includes followers or levers mounted to ride on the peripheries of the control disks, and adapted to enter recesses or depressions formed in the perimeters of the disks, as the. disks rotate beneath the followers. Each time a follower enters one of these depressions a train of mechanism leading to the pattern cylinder or to the yarn changing devices as the case may be, is set in operation in a well known manner.

Since the design of the article being knitted is governed by the pattern cylinder and the yarn changing mechanisms and these in turn are governed by the controlling mechanism, it is obvious that a change in the design of the article may be produced by varying the number, length or position of the depressions in the peripheries of the control disks. In order to make the required changes in the control disks, it has heretofore been necessary to dismantle the controlling mechanism, remove one or more of the disks and either remodel the face thereof by cutting new depressions or welding filling pieces into those already cut or to substitute new control disks therefor. This dismantling and reassembling of controlling mechanism and the individual units thereof, a unit comprising a control disk and one or more disks including a ratchet disk riveted thereto, manifestly caused a considerable expenditure of time and labor and loss of time of the machine even to make a slight change in the design of the article to be knit.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a control mechanism in which the changes in the disks, required to produce the desired varlations in the design of the article to be imit, may be speedily and easily effected without dismantling the controlling mechanism or removing any of the control disks from their mountings.

Another object is to provide control disks for use in mechanisms of the character described which will be capable of being re peatedly changed or varied to meet the requirements of the desired patterns and shapes without impairing the usefulness of the disks or stopping the operation of the machine for prolonged periods of time, thereby materially increasing the efliciency of machines in which such disks are em bodied.

My invention and its mode and principle of operation, will be readily understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein I-have illustrated one embodiment of my invention; and wherein- Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through a control device embodying my improvements; and

Fig. 2 is a planview thereof.

By reference to the drawing wherein I have shown only so much and such parts of a control mechanism as will be sufficient to convey a clear understanding of my invention, it will be observed that reference characters 3, 4:, and 5 designate respectively three concentric disks rotatably mounted on a shaft 6 which may be mounted in the psua manner designed to incorporate a control mechanism of this character. These three disks are fixedly secured together in the.

present instance by suitable means, such as rivets 7, constituting one unit of the controlling mechanism. It should be understood, however, that a series of these units are mounted side by side in the machine upon the shaft 6.

The center disk 4, of less diameter than the two side disks, is formed on its periphery with a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions or recesses designated in general by reference character 8. The side disks 3 and 5 project beyond the periphery of the center disk to form therewith a circumferential channel or guideway into which the toe of a follower 9 extends. This follower, resting on the periphery of the center disk is adapted to enter the depressions 8 therein as they are moved in succession beneath the follower when the disk is rotated. The follower 9 is pivotally mounted on the fixed rod 12, and is designed to oscillate an overlying platform 13, which in turn operates the pattern cylinder and yarn changing mechanisms through the intermediary of devices, not shown, but which are well understood in this art. Rotation is imparted intermittently to the unit through the medium of a suitable pawl 11, shown in dotted lines as engaging the toothed periphery of the disks 3, it being understood that any suitable means may be employed for reciprocating the pawl in the usual manner.

As has been previously explained, in order to vary or change the design or shape of the article to be knit, it is necessary to vary either the number, length or position of the depressions 8. In order to accomplish this purpose my present invention contemplates the provision of fillers or inserts for these depressions adapted to be detachably posi-- tioned in the depressions and removed therefrom, when desired. without dismantling the controlling mechanism or the units thereof.

Each filler comprises a strip of spring steel of width equal to that of the disk and shaped for detachably engaging with the disk 4. The fillers are designated on the drawing by reference character 14 and are provided at each end with projections or holding fingers 15 shaped to fit into correspondingly shaped slots 16 formed in the disk 4 at the ends of the depressions 8. The fillers 14, when positioned in the depressions 8 as shown in .Fig. 1 in the drawing, substantially fill the depressions so that the outer faces of the fillers form a continuation of the periphery of the disk 4, thereby providing a continuous surface upon which the followers 9 may ride so that no actuation of the follower and the mechanism operated thereby will take place when the filler passes under the follower.

Since the fillers are inade of spring steel, it will be obvious that they may be quickly inserted in position and removed, when desired, without dismantling the controlling mechanism or the various units thereof, and any controlling disk may, therefore, be quickly changed by inserting or removing fillers where required, thereby producing the desired changes in the operation of the machine. The depressions 8 may be of various lengths and the fillers should usually be of corresponding lengths. In some instances, however, an exceptionally long depression may be required for a certain pattern, as indicated by reference character 17 (Fig. 1) and sometimes it is desirable to fill in only a portion of this depression to produce a desired operation. I have, therefore, provided fillers of the shape indicated by reference character 18, one end of which is simply inclined downwardly, as indicated at 19, to fit in a correspondingly shaped slot 21 formed in the bottom wall of the depression 17 intermediate its ends. By this construction, a portion of a depression may be filled in leaving the remainder open to produce the desired operation of the machine.

It is believed that my invention and its mode of use will be understood from the foregoing without further description, and the advantages of employing fillers or inserts to fill in depressions in the controlling disks so as to produce desired operations of,

the machine should be apparent when compared with the disks heretofore employed, which had to be removed from the machine and replaced or remodeled every time a change in the pattern or shape of the article to be knit was required. While I have shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention, it should be manifest that size, shape, proportion and. arrangement of the various parts may be varied within considerable limit without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A controlling device for knitting machines comprising a disk provided on its periphery with a controlling depression having slots at the ends thereof, and an insert provided with fingers adapted to fit in said slots to retain the insert in position in said depression.

2. A controlling device for knitting machines comprising a disk provided on the periphery with controlling depressions and spring steel inserts constructed to fit said depressions and be detachably attached to the disk so that the outer surfaces of said inserts will present curved continuations of the periphery of the disk across said depres- SlOIlS.

3. A controlling device for knitting machines comprising a disk provided on its periphery with a controlling depression, an insert constructed to fit said depression so that the outer surface of said insert Will present a curved continuation of the peripery of the disk, said disk having a retaining recess extending from said depresout the use of tools so as to be detachably 10 retained in operative connection with the disk.

WILLIAM SMITH PR. 

